Man I'm tired, Monday - Preggos (Read 26 times)

RR: Ha, I feel like I've been running all week but really, haven't done anything formal since Wed, ewww. Hoping for a run/walk tonight.

PGR: 37w1d!!! Full term, woo!! I am very tired. It seems I've hit that point where a good night's sleep is finally hard to come by. I had terrible nights Thursday through Saturday where I ended up switching between the couch and bed as to not annoy DH too much but I finally slept well last night, probably from pure exhaustion! My belly feels so ginormous, when I'm sitting my belly burns, and when I'm standing/walking my feet hurt. lol I've been feeling on and off crampiness, but nothing consistent. No real contractions or anything, though getting lots of BH contractions.

NPGR (but not completely): The weekend was crazy. Friday night I didn't get home until 7pm because I went shopping after work for a raffle prize for my SIL's Jack and Jill. After a horrible night's sleep on Thursday I was so exhausted. Saturday I tried sleeping in but didn't really work so I just lazied around until my FIL picked me up at 1 to head to set up for the Jack and Jill. We decorated from 2-4, went back to the inlaws to relax for an hour before heading back. The party was good and raised a ton of money, DH had WAYYYY too much to drink though so I had to deal with that, when I was hoping he would be bringing me home because I was so tired from going all day! I had another terrible night's sleep on Saturday, just couldn't turn my head off. DH pretty much made up for being ridiculous yesterday by meal planning and grocery shopping for me, even ridiculously hung over. While he did that I went to lunch with a friend and then shopping for the rest of the baby clothes we needed. That was fun. There are wayyy too many cute options! I probably got too much, oh well! Last night DH and I cooked together. We made a double batch of ham and potato soup and a pasta salad. It was kinda nice doing that together, since usually one or the other cooks. Last night I finally had a good night's sleep. I didn't want to get up because I was so comfortable, which is rare these days! Tonight we are making a double batch of turkey meatballs so we can freeze a bunch for quick meals. I'm hoping to go to bed early... I'm still really tired!

PRs: 5k - 22:29, half marathon - 1:47:39

sashannadelina

posted: 3/4/2013 at 9:06 AM

MA: I really hope for your sake that you can work at home today! Sounds like you could really use it! So sorry about the bad sleep. I have bad days and good days, usually in the way you described: several bad days in a row followed by some much needed good ones. So I hope you have several good nights of sleep headed your way. That is awesome that DH made up for his "bad behavior" by doing all that stuff completely hung over. Hahaha! Husbands can be mystifying and still so endearing. Sounds like he will be wonderful help when LO finally arrives.

ER: Walking today. I might go to B&N because DH is going to be gone most of the day. Nothing really this weekend. DH was home and so was I and we made the most of our time together. I did do a lot of shopping Saturday and came home super tired and achy. Not really exercise, but it sure wore me out!

PGR: 38w4d. I don't feel like this baby is any more ready to make an appearance. Other than some bad SI joint pain on Saturday (after lots of walking around at the Birth Expo and lots of walking at the store) I have felt pretty normal. I've had more BH, but not enough more to make me think I'm any closer to labor. The Birth Expo was fun. I stopped at the WIC table and found that we will qualify for sure after I stop working. We probably would not have previously. I'm thankful for that, because I think we could really use that little help. I agree with Laura about not liking to use government programs, but I am much less opposed to WIC because of the classes they offer and nutritional/immunization help they give. It's not just a hand-out program.

PGR2: I also went to the vaccination lecture and have decided that I will give the normal immunizations, other than putting off Hep B until after a year old. Because DH's family lives in Mexico and his siblings travel there often, even if we don't take the baby right away, they are likely to get exposed through an aunt or uncle. So it just makes sense. Also, the pediatrician who taught the class completely set my mind at ease about the autism/immunization thing. Apparently, like TN said, it was a falsified study, published in a major health journal that has since been revoked.

NPGR: Well, kind of PGR but anyway, cooked a lot this weekend and I'm planning on cooking and cleaning some more. The last thing I want is to come home after labor and freak out b/c the house is such a mess.

Liz0330

posted: 3/4/2013 at 10:42 AM

MA - I did some baby clothes shopping this weekend, too...so cute. I shocked and appalled some ladies in the baby clothes aisle at target by buying blue stuff for our girl. They were like, 'are you expecting a boy?" And when I said I was expecting a girl they looked at me like I was from Mars. But i Just can't handle all the pink. What's wrong with blue? I wear blue! Hope you get some rest tonight.

Sashanna- I'm with you on the vaccinations (though haven't really thought too much about the Hep B one). And I'm glad you'll get the help you need from WIC. I know WIC is doing some really important stuff, including trying to promote bfing more than ever before.

ER - Saturday, I went to a prenatal yoga class and then went for a short-ish walk later. The yoga class was okay but so crowded - like 37 women in there. Ugh. I'm not sure I can go back. I don't find it relaxing to be in such a crowded room. Sunday, 5 miles on the elliptical. This AM, did 3miles on the elliptical + another 15 minutes of circuits (now that I'm out of boot camp feel like I need to do some strength stuff on my own.)

PGR - 36w2d. Feeling a lot of RLP and general pressure from baby pushing down. I also feel like weekends have stopped being relaxing with all the running around getting ready for stuff! Did a major trader joe's run this weekend to stock up and did some more cooking. Our freezer has never been so full. Bought some diapers...wow that made it feel real!

NPGR - Feeling pressure to get things set up at work for my departure. I know chances are I will go late, this being #1, but not knowing when I'll go is kind of stressful!

trozy

posted: 3/4/2013 at 10:43 AM

MA - Sounds like you had a very busy, exhausting weekend. Glad to hear that you finally got a good night's sleep in last night. What is a Jack & Jill party? I've never heard of that before.

sashanna - Wow, you and MA are so close! It seems like labor could really come at any time. As of now your body may not be showing any signs, but it seems that could all change in a matter of hours, so you never know! All you ladies have been doing so well preparing meals! I didn't do that last time and it wasn't too bad, but I think things will be different this time so I should really start thinking of some good freezer meal ideas.

RR - I FINALLY got outside for a run yesterday! I've been indoors on the treadmill all winter. It was nice and sunny, but cold (20's)! I ran with one of our dogs which was tough. She hasn't been run in a long time so she always goes out so fast. By the time we get a mile or so into it, sh'es much better, but the first mile is rough. Overall my pace was slow! I didn't peak at my GPS the whole time and was a little surprised at how slow I was in the end. Oh well, I guess I have a good excuse. I've been running faster on my treadmill (I am usually the opposite and tend to run faster outside). I think the hills killed me because my quads are so sore today and I didn't really run that far (3.5 miles). I ordered my maternity support belt this weekend so I'll try running with that once I get it.

PGR - 17w6d. I'm pretty sure I'm starting to feel some kicks which is pretty exciting! We have our big ultrasound next week and we can't wait! We are definitely planning to find out what we're having (provided baby cooperates)!

NPGR - We started some organizing/deep cleaning this weekend. It feels good to get it started, but it's a little overwhelming thinking of how much we have to do. Before the baby comes we're hoping to finish our basement (we are getting close, but DH has been doing all the work on his own so it's taking time), get new flooring throughout most of our house and order new living room furniture (so we can move our current living room furniture to the basement. Before we do all of the moving and flooring we want to deep clean a lot of the rooms, so that will be my job. I think there are many Goodwill (donation) trips in my future

monk717

posted: 3/4/2013 at 10:58 AM

Hey girls! I'm trying to lurk, but time is just whizzing by so fast! I can't believe P is already almost two weeks old... I go back to work one month from today. Way too soon! Did yogi have her baby yet? I saw the belly pics posted yesterday on FB. I should post a picture of my "belly," maybe in a few days when I feel more brave. I haven't lost much weight yet. I was really unhappy with how I looked but that was last week when I was just living in pajamas. Its a bit better when I get dressed. The belly is going down as is the swelling and once I find some clothes that fit better I think I'll be OK. I need to hunt for my smaller maternity clothes and bigger regular jeans today.

I did see the discussion about vaccinations on Friday but didn't have time to post. A had all her vaccines according to the established schedule. She never had any problems. P had the first hep B vaccine in the hospital. I had to Dtap for whooping cough booster at 34 weeks to pass on immunity to P. I'd rather make sure my kids are protected and see no reason not to follow recommendations unless the kids have problems, so thats what I'll do with P.

Mannluna

posted: 3/4/2013 at 11:31 AM

PG: 31w. I've had a cold since Thursday Sat I woke up feeling good but over did it. I bought a used glider/ottoman off CL but that's about all baby related. Nursery furniture delivery got rescheduled to wed.

NPGR: sleeping comfortably while PG and congested is impossible! I'm home but I I have to go into the office for a couple hours to prepare for a presentation tomorrow. I'm really hoping I feel better and look presentable tomorrow afternoon.

ER: weights/cardio sat. Missed my long training walk on sun. HM is just around the corner. Hopefully I can walk 10 miles this weekend . Since I'm not running I don't think having a taper week is that crucial.

Sorry so quick post

MA runner girl

posted: 3/4/2013 at 11:47 AM

Unfortunately I am in the office today. I wish I could have worked at home but my laptop was updated to Windows 7 over the weekend so I had to pick it up this morning. I am dragginggg and definitely not on the ball today.

Sasha - I hope things start happening for you soon! As trozy said, I don't think it really matters if you aren't feeling anything now, it can happen quickly. I'm glad you are feeling better about the vaccinations. I feel like I should clean too but I have had no time or excess energy!

Liz - ha! I'm glad you could shock some people with the blue I was a huge tomboy growing up and never liked pink and dresses. Blue is one of my favorite colors, pink - not so much. Not every girl needs to be a girly girl! Our freezer is so ridiculously full too! I'm not sure how we will fit meatballs in there, might need to do some rearranging!

trozy - A Jack and Jill is a fundraiser for a bride and groom. There is a ticket price to get in the door and usually dinner is served and there are lots of raffle prizes. I think it's a regional thing as lots of people ask me what it is! They are all over the place around here. Nice job on the run! Ha, just wait a few months and you will really feel slow! I'm sure my pace will be laughable tonight. Good luck getting all the house stuff done!

monk - Good to "see" you! We haven't heard from Yogi yet. I hope P is doing well! He's such a cutie.

Mann - Oh no! I hope you feel better. Sleeping congested and pregnant is the WORST. It stinks because you need to sleep to get better too. Good luck getting the presentation ready.

PRs: 5k - 22:29, half marathon - 1:47:39

sashannadelina

posted: 3/4/2013 at 11:48 AM

Liz: Great job on the eliptical workouts. I'm with you on the yoga though. 37 women sounds like way too many! I would have a hard time with that. I just got some diapers and wipes this weekend. I only had one small pack of size 1 diapers, so I got one of newborn. It felt crazy, but like you mentioned, I am likely to go late too.

Trozy: Well, I'm not so prepared as everyone else. I haven't actually frozen anything. I cooked in case the baby comes this week. If it doesn't I will have to cook again. Oh well. Great job on the run! It's always nice to get outside for a change. This winter hasn't been too cold, but it has been rainy, so I've missed being out. Yay for feeling kicks! That's the best!

Monk: Sounds like everything is going well for you and P! Yay! I heard about getting the Dtap just this saturday, so obviously I haven't done that. I think I'll just stick with the normal schedule. Don't get too discouraged about your size. You took nine months to put on that weight, so you can afford a few more to take it off. Healthier that way anyway.

Mann: So sorry about the cold! They are so miserable, and you are totally right. Being both pregnant and sick makes sleeping practically impossible. Take it easy and get lots of rest. Don't work too hard today!

schmetterling

posted: 3/4/2013 at 12:14 PM

Morning all.

ER - 15 minutes of the Ballet Beautiful DVD Saturday, 1.5 mile hike around a nature center yesterday. It was a bit of a challenge since some of the trails were icy. Don't know if I'll do anything today.

PGR - Not much going on.

NPGR - I've been battling post nasal drip nonsense for going on 2 weeks now. I'm getting really tired of it, and tired in general since it is worse at night. That's why I'm unsure I'll go to the gym today. We're supposed to get snow or something tomorrow, or tonight? I have no idea, but 2 clients have mentioned it to me on the phone so I suppose I should look into it haha.

MA - Sorry your husband went a little overboard but good for him for stepping up yesterday. All the food you're making sounds delicious. Hope you get better sleep tonight.

Sasha - Go to B&N! For me! Glad you had a good time at the Birth Expo.

Liz - I hear you on the pink baby clothes. It takes a lot of effort, but I've managed to find some minimal/non-pink choices.

Trozy - Exciting your u/s is coming up and you're feeling kicks! Any hunches on what you're having? And congrats on the run, I'm really looking forward to getting back to it once I feel a bit better.

Mann - Sorry about the cold. Hope you get better as the day goes on so you'll feel better at your presentation tomorrow.

TNesq

posted: 3/4/2013 at 12:45 PM

MA - I'm glad DH setpped up and did so much for you yesterday! I've been having that belly burning off and on - it is really uncomfortable, although I can usually alleviate it by changing positions...so I really feel for you if it happens whenever you're sitting!

sasha - Glad you enjoyed the birth expo, and you were able to make a decision about vaccinations. You are getting so close!

Liz - We're also hoping to avoid the onslaught of pink - our babies' room is orange with blue and green accents - our crib sheets are blue. We've so far avoided too much pink clothing (my mom has purchased a bunch, but knows I'm not huge into pink), but I have two showers this weekend, so we'll see. DH and I bought two little outfits that had blue sharks on them, and the check-out person was like, oh, are you having twin boys? Nope, I just think the little sharks on the butt are cute. Sounds like you are doing a good job prepping for baby's arrival! My prenatal yoga class only has like 10 people in it, which is a good size - 37 seems WAY crowded.

trozy - SO jealous of your outside run! I am really longing for runs right now.Yay for kicks! Any feelings on whether you're having boy or girl?

monk - nice to "see" you - glad things are going well with P! Thanks for sharing the info about your belly - always nic to hear about PP experiences, too, but don't get discouraged - you're only 2 weeks out!

Mann - boo to the cold - hope you feel better soon!

schmett - Oh, the hike sounds nice - did you do ballet growing up or as an adult? I never did any dance classes growing up (my mom put me in ice skating instead) so I sort of wish I had been in dance.

PGR: 28w6d. Feeling very whale-ish - according to my home scale, I've gained 4 lbs in a week. How is that even possible? Now up to 34 lbs. Sigh. I was also very tired this weekend - took a nap on both Saturday and Sunday, which is unusual for me, so maybe baby growth spurt? My pelvic pain is still very frustrating - I am getting very tired of it, and hoping it isn't something that lingers after babies are born.

PGR2: SIL emailed that she is unable to make my shower because she has had sick kiddos and has no extra PTO to spare, but is going to send up various baby items that she still has from my nieces, including monitors, some clothes, etc. She apologized for not saving more!

ER: Not much this weekend except some cleaning. Not sure about this evening yet - may be doing some snow shoveling...

NPGR: DH started his new job today. We debated back and forth about which vehicle he should take (his commute is about 90 miles) since it is supposed to snow between 6-12 inches today and tomorrow. He packed a bag, in case he has to stay there, I may need to snowblow our driveway (although he doesn't want me to since I'm pregnant, he said he would make arrangements, but I somehow feel that it won't happen) - DH is usually very....behind on snowblowing anyway, and our driveway ends up a mess, so I'd like to take care of it ASAP if no one has done it by this evening when I get home from work. Supposed to have our last childbirth class tonight, waiting to see if it is canceled, or if I may end up going alone if DH stays over because of the weather.

runswithrocky

posted: 3/4/2013 at 2:48 PM

TN - I went to most of our birth, breastfeeding and baby care classes alone because my DH had just had surgery. It was awkward! Hello! LUckily I'm not the kind of person who cares, but I was definitely getting stared at (plus I look young so I'm sure people were making all kinds of assumptions about my, erm, situation). Be careful out there!

schmetterling

posted: 3/4/2013 at 4:38 PM

TN - I did ballet growing up but as an adult, pregnant at that, I have nowhere near the grace or flexibility I did as a little kid. I just go at my own pace and the moves are kind of a nice break from the constant go go go of Jillian. Good luck tonight with class. I hope your DH gets home safely.

Laura G in Idaho

posted: 3/4/2013 at 7:22 PM

A very late post from me, sorry.

RR: Ran 2.3 miles, and walked 0.86 mi. Today's run wasn't near as wonderful as Saturday's run. I think I need to space out my 2 run days more evenly in the week.

ER: Nothing today. I meant to do a sculpting DVD on Sunday and go for a walk yesterday, but the day didn't turn out at all like I had imagined. (more in NPGR)

PGR: 32w 3d. Saw the midwife this morning. Measuring 34 cm. My BP is 118/62, nice! We talked about my NPGR (below). Also saw my chiropractor today. He said to stay off the elliptical, because it can cause hip/pelvis problems (my SI joint has been acting up since I started elliptical, so he might have a point!), since it's an unnatural movement. Same goes for stairstep machine. He suggested cross training by walking on the treadmill with an incline, or with weights on my ankles. He also supported me continuing with swimming and yoga. I discussed the information in Clapp's book with him, because he was telling me it's okay to stop... ha!

NPGR (long): So, yesterday morning, just as I was finishing my animal chores, I got a call from a woman in my church. She said her SIL was in labor, at home, and wanted to do an unassisted birth, and they wondered if I would come. She was attempting a VBA3C, unassisted. Well, I've had some unassisted births, and I support people making their own choices regarding their care, but that doesn't mean I didn't see red flags right from the start, or that I don't believe in transporting to the hospital. She went on to say that the mother's water broke 14 hours before they called me. She had been in labor for 3 days. RED FLAGS EVERYWHERE!

They wanted to know if I would come over. So I came over to the house, and my first thought was to find out if we had a solid reason to transport. So, I had her take her temperature, since her water had been broken for so many hours. It was 96.8 (that wasn't a typo). So, she didn't seem to be running a fever. I asked if she had put anything inside since her water broke, and she said no, but she did take a bath. (facepalm!) A bath isn't out of the question after the water is broken, but it's sort of a gray area. If the labor is going swiftly, generally, there isn't time for it to be a problem. BUT, this labor wasn't going swiftly at all. The contractions were erratic. Sometimes she would have several all clustered together, and then they would space out to 20-30 minutes apart. She was complaining of back pain. I assumed the baby might be in a posterior position, and suggested that she get into a hands and knees position to help with the pain (and maybe the baby's position).

Next, I asked if we could try to listen to the baby with my fetoscope. Problem is, this mama was a big lady, and there was a fat layer about 3" thick, and her fat draped over her pubic bone even thicker. So, I listened, and all I could hear was a swishy sound about 112 bpm. This could very well have been the mother, but I really didn't know for sure what I was hearing. I told them so. 112 bpm is lower than average for a baby, but some babies do have a low baseline. Without knowing what was normal for this baby, and not knowing if I was hearing mom or baby, I couldn't definitively tell them that I thought their baby was in distress and they should transport. I tried to palpate the baby's position externally, but with all that extra tissue in the way, I really couldn't feel anything.

So my next thought was to check mama's BP. It was 128/88. On the high side of average, but not for a mama who was in labor and working hard. With this knowledge, the couple decided to err on the side of blissful ignorance. What they didn't know was fine by them, and they would assume everything was good.

Since my arrival, the contractions sped up some. I think that was because the mom felt safer with my presence. Thinking that this birth could be imminent, but not doing an internal exam, I decided to stay and help her handle the labor. As we got to talking, I learned the reason for the first c/sec was a prolapsed cord, and the other two c/secs were just scheduled repeats. I asked if she had any prenatal care with any doctor or midwife. She said no. So my next question was whether she had any knowledge of her GBS status from a previous pregnancy. She said her 2nd pregnancy she tested positive. At that point, I suggested that she do the chlorhexidine rinse just in case, since we didn't know her GBS status for this pregnancy. Besides, many practitioners recommend that once you test positive, you should always treat yourself as positive. I also asked how many weeks along she was, and she said 41 weeks. Not really a red flag by itself, but when combined with all her other factors, this was not a good candidate for an unassisted home birth.

After 6 hours, her contractions took a break, and became more erratic. She was shaky, so I was thinking she could be in transition. She asked if I could do an internal check. I've only done one other vag exam, and it was not very educational for me, since the senior midwife didn't explain anything to me (I only went to one birth with that midwife and decided we couldn't work together for several reasons). I told her I could try. I did have two sterile gloves, but was not at all sure I would be able to decipher anything I was feeling. So, I donned the sterile glove and was actually surprised at how clear I was able to picture what I was feeling. I estimated her to be at 8-9 cm, with an anterior lip of cervix. Her cervix was paper thin. I could feel caput (fluid filled area of the baby's scalp which was poking through the cervix). So, she labored another hour, and then asked me to check again. I rechecked with my other sterile glove, and she was completely dilated. All I could feel was the head. No cervix at all. However, I didn't check for suture lines of the baby's scalp to help me distinguish the position of the head.

So, mom decided to go ahead and attempt to push the baby out. Her contractions were so erratic, and were ineffective. Plus, mom was physically weak, exhausted from too many days in labor, so after about two hours of "pushing" (9 hours of me being at their house), I went out and talked to the grandmother and SIL. I told them I really thought they should transport, because I didn't feel qualified to help them, and couldn't really assess how the baby was doing. They agreed, but no one approached the couple about it. I didn't know if I should tell them what I was thinking or not, but as soon as I voiced how I was feeling, I felt emotionally detached from the situation, and unable to effectively support their choices.

Another hour passed. No baby, contractions ineffective. We couldn't even see the baby's head starting to come down. I asked the father to step out and talk with me. I told him how I was feeling, and he completely shut down. No, they weren't going to transport. No discussion. At that point, I texted a massage therapist friend of mine who has also done several births unassisted, and she gave a few suggestions, but her overriding advice to me was that I was too close to the situation, had become entangled in it, and that I needed to leave, and call an ambulance on my way out. She was right. I had lost my objectivity. I knew I needed to get them to transport, but this wasn't really my ballgame.

Another hour passed (now 4 hours since complete dilation, 11 hours since my arrival, 25 hours since the water broke). I finally talked to mom when dad stepped out to get some more water for her. I told her how I was feeling, and as I finished discussing it with her, dad had returned and so the three of us were discussing it. I gave them some time alone to discuss it. Meanwhile, I talked with the grandmother and SIL and they agreed that they needed to transport. No one wanted to tell them so! No one wanted to confront the dad! The mom seemed to understand my position at least, but the dad really thought I would just be their midwife (even though I have no formal training as a midwife... just some self-study and I've attended some births as a doula, which I explained very clearly to them), and that by virtue of me being there, I would somehow make his wife able to give birth to this baby.

Another half hour passed, and I went to check on them. I asked what their decision was, and they told me they wanted to keep trying at home. Mom said since having dinner she was feeling the baby move around, and so she was assured that baby was doing fine. I explained again that I wasn't comfortable with their decision, so I needed to leave. They said okay. So, I got my things, and I left. Then I called the SIL who first asked me to come to the birth, and told her I thought that the other adults in the house needed to call an ambulance.

I didn't sleep well, thinking about this situation. How could I have left them? But how could I support them in this craziness, being so untrained and unable to really help? I am sure I could handle a straightforward birth, but this one was anything but straightforward. I believe that even a trained midwife would have transported. I knew baby was likely OP, but with the water broken and labor so advanced, I didn't know of anything that could be done to remedy the situation. The contractions just weren't powerful or consistent enough to get the baby out.

I got a text at 12:40 AM telling me they went to the hospital, but nothing more. At 9 AM, I got word that the mother had a cesarean, because the docs said it was the law. The baby is doing well, is a boy, 9 lbs and was definitely posterior. I don't know if that was the law, but it was probably the only thing that could be done at that point. It may have been the "standard of practice" for OBs. Pitocin isn't safe for a VBAC because the risk of uterine rupture. Changing the baby's position with the head well-engaged in the birth canal was unlikely to be successful. Maternal exhaustion had definitely set in by this time. I was also told in the text that mom had been given too many fluids, and her lungs were filled, so she's in a drug-induced coma. She may wake up tonight or by tomorrow morning. Yikes!

How could I have lost my objectivity? I knew going into this that there were too many red flags. I wish I could have found something definitive to cause the parents to realize the bleakness of the situation. Why didn't I just tell them this was insane and she needed to be transported? I guess it's because I really believe in people choosing for themselves. I just wish I hadn't become entangled in it. Yet, if I hadn't gone to try and help, I would have wondered if I should have done something when the news came my way that they had a transport and a cesarean. Almost forgot to say, a few hours into the pushing, the father offered the mother "more tylenol for her back ache" and so that's when it became apparent to me that any fever she may have had could have been masked by tylenol, which they didn't happen to mention to me.

I discussed this fully with my midwife, and she explained that she has a current client who is very similar, and doesn't want to hear the truth. I asked her if my non-committal to having a hospital birth was causing her any sleepless nights or undue worry. She assured me it wasn't, because she said I'm educated and that my number one commitment is to having a healthy baby and mom. Then it occurred to me, this couple wanted to do it their way, regardless of the outcome. That's a really risky position to take. I have no set-in-stone rule about where I will give birth. I am narrowing it down to how long my labor will be... if it starts as though it's very precipitous (an hour or less), I'll probably stay at home and do it unassisted. If it seems like it could be longer, I'll go to the hospital. I'm actually wondering about the possibility of an ambulance transport, no matter the length of the labor. The worst part of transporting to the hospital is the car ride and check-in. That's very swift with an ambulance ride. I'm going to discuss that possibility with my midwife at our next appointment.

Writing this has taken me about an hour, so I don't have more time for personals. I did read everyone's posts. I think about this group very often. I wish we would hear from yogi. I'll try and check in earlier tomorrow.